All posts by Bop Design

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) May 03, 2012

A web developer can never have enough tools to help make web development faster and more efficient. Mozilla’s Firefox web browser has a feature called add-ons (similar to extensions or plugins), which add extra features to the browser. Bop Design, a San Diego web design agency with offices also in New Jersey, has selected the top 8 Firefox add-ons to help web developers streamline the web development process.
Firefox 11 already has very impressive tools for web development. It includes (descriptions from mozilla.org):

Web Console – Lets you see logging messages from your JavaScript code, JavaScript and CSS errors and network activity. Search and filter to find just the events you need to look at. Plus, you can directly interact with and explore your page via JavaScript.

Page Inspector – Peek right into the styling of any Web page by visually selecting the page element that you’re interested in.

Scratchpad – Scratchpad lets you write JavaScript code that can interact directly with the contents of a Web page.

With these powerful tools already included,Bop Design’s Web Development Director, Jordan Paraso has selected the top 8 add-ons specifically used for web development.

1. Web Developer 1.1.9 – (http://chrispederick.com/work/web-developer/) Also known as the Web Developer Toolbar (WDT), this add-on installs various web developer tools to the browser. It will allow you to quickly disable any JavaScript, CSS or image files on website. The toolbar also gives you easy access to any cookies, meta tag information, and forms on the web page you are viewing. Paraso adds, “One of my favorite features is the ability to auto fill forms for form testing. The ‘name’ of the form element will be used as the form value, so when testing a form with many fields, this feature will save you plenty of time. The truth is, the WDT has so many different features, I haven’t been able to use them all yet!”
2. Firebug 1.9.1 – (http://getfirebug.com/) Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page. It’s like the built in Web Console and Page Inspecter but with more features. Paraso contends, “Some developers will debate on which is better, WDT or Firebug. From my experience, WDT is more suited for front end designers that do a lot of CSS coding and Firebug is better for JavaScript/AJAX debugging and development. I say use them both.”
3. MeasureIt 0.4.10 – (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/measureit/) Draw a ruler across any webpage to check the width, height, or alignment of page elements in pixels. “This ruler is one of the handiest add-ons I’ve used.”
4. Firesizer 1.7 – (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/firesizer/)
   Allows you to resize the window to specific dimensions. This add-on shows the dimensions of the current browser.
5. HTML Validator 0.9.5.2 – (http://users.skynet.be/mgueury/mozilla/) Adds HTML Validation to the View Page Source of the browser. The add-on is based on Tidy and OpenSP, both algorithms that were originally developed by the Web Consortium W3C. The details of the errors are seen when looking the HTML source of the page. Paraso suggests, “If you care about your code being valid, then try this out. Although the WDT has a HTML validator feature, those validation results are shown to you from an external website, rather than being shown along with the page’s source code.”
6. Rainbow 1.5.1 – (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/rainbow-color-tools/) This add-on has a color picker and eyedropper + saving colors. It allows you to try out colors with drag and drop. Want to know the hexadecimal notation (HEX) color of a particular blue that is in a jpeg image without needing an image editor (like Photoshop)? With Rainbow, it’s no problem.
7. Lazarus: Form Recovery 2.3 – (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/lazarus-form-recovery/) Lazarus securely auto-saves all forms as you type, so after a crash, server timeout, or whatever, you can go back to the form and get the form data back. Paraso suggests, “If you have a lot of forms that need testing and would like to use actual form content, this add-on will make it a less tedious task.”
8. FireFTP – (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/fireftp/?src=userprofile) FireFTP is a free, secure, cross-platform FTP/SFTP client for Mozilla Firefox which provides easy and intuitive access to FTP/SFTP servers. “If you are experienced with FileZilla, FireFTP will be familiar.”

White papers can be an extremely effective marketing tool, especially for B2B service-oriented companies. White papers give a business marketer an opportunity to demonstrate thought leadership, educate their target audience and build trust, all without the perceived “sleaziness” of a sales pitch. However, taking the time to write a white paper or even coming up with a topic can often be an undertaking in itself. To help a small business get started, Bop Design, a San Diego-based marketing agency with clients through the U.S., has developed a step-by-step guide on writing an effective white paper, followed by a handy list of do’s and don’ts.

Steps for Creating an Effective White Paper

1. Gain attention by choosing a topic that will resonate with your target audience.Kara Jensen, Creative Director at Bop Design adds, “It should either be a common issue your clients face, or a question you find yourself answering frequently.”
2. Attract interest with a broad description of issues and trends in your industry. This is an excellent way to introduce your reader to the topic.
3. Assess the issues and/or challenges the white paper will address. Give the reader a high-level overview of the issue you’re going to resolve.
4. Summarize what the reader will learn by reading the white paper. Jensen states, “Make it clear what they will gain if they invest their valuable time.”
5. Create desire by solving the problem. Describing the solution to your readers makes them want to carry out the solution—or hire you to carry it out.
6. Support your solution with statistics, charts and graphs. “Numbers are more convincing than asking the reader to take your word for it.”
7. Condense the key points into a brief summary toward the end. This makes for easier reading.
8. Stimulate action with a compelling conclusion. Tell your readers the next step—the step they should take immediately after finishing the white paper.

White Paper Dos and Don’ts

1. Do understand your audience. What are they interested in? What motivates their decisions? What challenges do they face? Jensen says, “If you work backwards from your audience, you’ll create a white paper that resonates with them.”
2. Do break up your content. Try using numbers if appropriate. A list of top 10 tips will be easier for someone to scan—which means people are more likely to download it and read it.
3. Do be explicit about what the reader will get out of the white paper. If readers know they’ll get A, B and C out of the white paper, they’re more likely to read on.
4. Do put your contact information on every page. “Not every reader is going to get to the last page.”
5. Do make the white paper look good. Jensen emphatically states, “A well-written but poorly designed white paper won’t capture your audience’s interest. Hire a designer if you don’t have the in-house ability to make it look professional and appealing.”
6. Don’t use industry jargon, acronyms or complex explanations. Most readers lack your expert knowledge. That’s why they’re reading your white paper!
7. Don’t write a user manual. It should be educational, not step-by-step instructions.
8. Don’t make a sales pitch. You’ll lose your reader immediately.
9. Don’t be too wordy. Make it easy to skim and easy to understand.

Bop Design suggests that white papers can be one of the most effective conversion tools on a firm’s website. Jensen says, “One of the primary objectives of a website is for it to serve as a lead generator. If a white paper contains compelling information, a website visitor will complete a form to access it. This generates a qualified lead for a firm’s sales team.”

Kara Jensen of Bop Design has been selected as a 2012 Tribute to Women & Industry (TWIN) honoree. Jensen is the Creative Principal at Bop Design, a San Diego based marketing agency focused on professional and business services firms. Jensen and Bop Design will be recognized at the 2012 YWCA “In the Company of Women” luncheon on Monday, April 16. Additionally, Jensen is being considered for the prestigious 2012 TWIN Mentor award. The San Diego YWCA will announce the recipient of this award during the luncheon.

“I am honored to be nominated and excited about the event!” exclaims Jensen. “As a leader of two women on the Bop Design creative team, I am flattered that they nominated me and hope to be a mentor to many more women throughout my career at Bop Design.”

The luncheon is being held in the Marina Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis & Marina, located at 333 West Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. Registration will begin at 11:00 am and the luncheon will be held from 12:00 Noon – 1:30 p.m. Ashley Judd, acclaimed actor and dedicated humanitarian will be our inspirational keynote speaker. Proceeds from this event will support the YWCA’s programs and services for women and families who are survivors of domestic violence and homelessness.

Most small business owners understand that their firm needs a SEO and social media marketing strategy. However, there is still much confusion regarding the benefits of SEO and social media, and the best way for a small business to implement an effective plan. Bop Design, a San Diego based marketing agency focused on small businesses, has released a resource titled the “Top 10 Social Media & SEO Questions Answered.” The resource is designed for the small business owner who is cash strapped, time crunched but knows their firm needs an effective SEO and social media plan to increase brand awareness and generate ideal customer leads.

Bop Design Business Principal, Jeremy Durant, comments, “There is a tendency for small businesses to over-complicate their social media and SEO strategy. This causes a strategy to be disjointed, sporadic and undisciplined.” Durant says that a strategy all starts with content creation. “If a firm can generate two relevant, timely blog entries a month, this can be the start of an effective SEO and social media plan.” Durant contends that these blog entries can be re-purposed in regular social media communication and an SEO article distribution strategy. “Social media and SEO truly work hand in hand and where it all starts is content. Content establishes you as a thought leader on social media and creates keyword rich content for on and off page optimization.” Because SEO and social media can work together, Bop Design combined the two topics in one guide.

The Top 10 List includes common questions like: Can a SEO firm reasonably guarantee top ranking on Google? How can I test the effectiveness of my website? How do I determine what keywords my firm’s website should target? Click here to access the guide.

Everyday the San Diego website design firm, Bop Design, is asked many of the same questions about business website design. The Bop Design team has compiled a list of the 10 most asked questions about website design and created an answer guide. “We created the guide to equip business decision makers with a powerful resource as they shop around for the best website design firm for their particular needs. By far, the most common question is ‘What does a website cost?'” states Jeremy Durant, Bop Design Business Principal.

The website design and marketing firm addresses this question first. They compare the price of a website to the price of a car – the price is determined on the features a customer wants and what it needs to accomplish. In another answer, Bop Design essentially compiles a shopping guide – listing questions a business decision maker should pose to any website design firm. “The Bop Design team considers ourselves to be a small business advocacy group. Even if a business decides not to hire Bop, we want to empower them with educated questions so they select the right website design and marketing partner,” says Durant.
Some of the questions are more foundational, intended for the website design novice. Others are more technical such as “Why is WordPress an effective content management system?” Click here to access the guide.

Bop Design, a web design and marketing agency with offices in San Diego and New Jersey, has released a new infographic analyzing Facebook and LinkedIn usage. The marketing firm then applies these lessons to B2B marketing.

“Conventional wisdom says that if you are a B2C company, you should spend more time marketing on Facebook, and if you are a B2B firm, you should spend more time marketing on LinkedIn. Our infographic suggests that this strategy can be misguided,” states Bop Design Business Principal, Jeremy Durant. The infographic contends that prospective buyers do not compartmentalize professional and personal social networking, and that marketing to a prospective business buyer while they are socially networking on Facebook can still be effective.

“Let’s look at traditional advertising. Plenty of B2B companies market to potential business buyers on television during sporting events, game shows, etc. Also, plenty of B2B advertising takes place in other sections of the newspaper besides the business section. It’s the same idea with social media.”

The infographic focuses on the time spent on Facebook versus LinkedIn, and the mistaken notion that only young people socially network on Facebook. “A CEO may stay in touch with his children who are away at college through Facebook. That CEO may spend one hour a day on Facebook while he may only spend one hour a week on LinkedIn,” states Durant. “This is an excellent time to reach this CEO with the appropriate advertising message. Just because they are at home and socially networking on a personal level does not mean they turn off their CEO mind.”

View the B2B Social Media Marketing Infographic.

December is typically a time for companies to develop a marketing plan for the coming year. As 2011 winds down and companies determine a plan to attract new clients and increase revenue for 2012, Bop Design, a marketing agency based in San Diego and New Jersey, reminds small businesses of five critical trends and components of an effective 2012 small business marketing plan.

One Tactic is Not a Strategy

Implementing a marketing plan that focuses on just one tactic is not a strategy. Bop Design Business Principal, Jeremy Durant, states, “I meet many small business owners who brag about how all their business is through referral or professional networking. That’s a fine strategy if you want to remain stagnate. If you want to grow, you can’t select one marketing tactic like networking and expect to dramatically increase your client pool.” Bop Design recommends a tactical mix that can include web marketing, print advertising, networking, referrals, direct mail, email marketing, etc. The optimal mix depends on a business’ ideal client and resources. Bop Design mentions that they have some clients who are allocating all marketing funds to the web, which can be shortsighted. “Clients come to us and want a new website design for their firm. That’s a great start but if the new website design is not part of an overall strategy, I would not waste your money.”

Marketing and Sales Alignment

As marketing planning begins for 2012, it is important that the sales department is involved from the start. Durant mentions, “Marketing may devise a strategy that is not effective in generating or nurturing ideal customer leads for the sales department. Marketing’s top priority is helping the sales team perform their job better so a business can generate more revenue.” Bop Design suggests that key sales team members are present in the initial marketing meetings to provide feedback marketing successes and failures. The sales team can then identify marketing tools that can help them build more credibility with prospects. “Marketing may make a false assumption on the success or failure of a campaign. For instance, marketing may implement a SEO campaign that drives many people to the firm’s website, prompting a large number of visitors to complete a website form requesting more information. Marketing may assume the campaign was a success but maybe the inquiries did not fit the ideal customer profile – wasting the sales team’s time.”

Delegate the Right Tasks

As a small business owner determines marketing functions for 2012, an owner needs to remember that typically no one does a better job at selling a firm’s services than they do. “Sometimes business owners delegate the wrong tasks to employees. When they become busy, the owner will hire a sales person while he or she performs administrative tasks. No one is better at conveying the value of his or her business than the owner. They are the ultimate brand evangelists.” Unfortunately many small business owners “stay inside” working on operations and don’t practice their core competency. Bop Design recommends that a business owner remains involved with professional networking. “They live and breathe the business and that naturally makes them the ultimate sales person.”

Social Media is here to stay!

Many small businesses, especially B2B firms, are resistant to any social media marketing. Durant adds, “We work with B2B firms that refuse to be active on social media – they think it is a fad and not an effective branding vehicle.” No matter if a firm is B2C or B2B, Bop Design advises its clients to build out their company profiles on Facebook and LinkedIn and make sure that all employees are linked to the company. As salespeople make face-to-face connections at networking events, they should follow up with a social media connection. “At the very least, social media is an effective method to stay top of mind with connections and position your firm as a thought leader in a particular industry.” Bop Design encourages a firm to post all news, press releases, success stories and relevant business articles on their social media accounts. “Social media allows a small business to amplify their brand message to existing connections, helping their sales team nurture a lead from an original inquiry to a customer.”

Analytics

The “I know 50% of my marketing is working, I just wish I knew which 50%” excuse is not valid anymore. With the analytical tools available especially on the web, it is relatively easy to determine which marketing tactics are effective and which ones are not. Google Analytics recently released “In-Page Analytics,” which provides an intuitive, visual representation of the actions taken by webpage visitors. In one quick view, a business can see the content and images effective in driving traffic through their website. Durant adds, “With Google Analytics, a business owner can not only determine if a marketing tactic was effective in driving people to the firm’s website but then see if the website design and content was effective in prompting action and engagement.”

Google has released another easy-to-use tool called the Google Optimizer. This tool lets a business test content, titles, images and other variables on a firm’s webpages. One can choose two webpages on the website and set up a Multivariate Experiment for each of the pages to test the content and/or layout of the page to see if a firm can increase clicks or conversion. “The analytical tools available allow a business decision maker to make optimal decisions on their marketing strategy and fine-tune tactics throughout 2012.”

About Bop Design, San Diego and New Jersey Web Design

Bop Design is a boutique marketing communications firm headquartered in San Diego with offices also in New Jersey. We express your business’ values through web design, branding, advertising and print design. We also help attract your ideal customer through search engine optimization and search engine marketing. Our focus is on small businesses that want an external team of marketing specialists to help give their brand an edge in the marketplace.

With the recent controversy over the new University of Maryland Terrapins football helmet and the college football season in full swing, Bop Design, a design agency with offices in San Diego and New Jersey, has released their list of the top 5 college football logo designs. Read the article below for the list of Bop Design’s top 5 college football logo designs and lessons that can apply to small business marketing.

“It’s important that a college logo is versatile enough so it can be re-purposed on promotional items such as polo shirts, pens, field of play, etc. If the logo is too complex or ‘busy,’ it cannot be used in different situations. This is the problem with the current University of Maryland football helmet. The helmet is busy and distracting but most importantly, it cannot be easily utilized in other applications.”

Bop Design reminds businesses that the same lessons learned from college logo designs can be applied to the design of all marketing collateral – from website design to brochure design to print advertising design.

Here is the list of Bop Design’s top 5 college football logo designs and lessons that can apply to small business marketing

#5 Michigan State Spartans
The Spartan logo design is a clean rendition of the Spartan mask headgear. The disciplined design could have easily been overdone with too much detail or clutter. Instead, the design is simple but memorable. Jensen adds, “The Michigan State logo gives off the feeling of intimidation and seriousness with sharp lines and angles – which is perfect for a college football team.” The logo has staying power and classic styling – it’s been consistent since 1983. “It definitely holds its own again the classic collegiate ‘M’ of their intrastate rival.” Bop Design remarks that a clean logo is always advisable for any business. Jensen comments, “As a business, a logo is most effective when it is simple and clean. It conveys a message or idea about a company but does not go overboard. With all marketing collateral, less is more.”

#4 Miami Hurricanes
Many teams use a school’s initials for their logo, but the University of Miami Hurricanes logo design is unique with a dual tone one-letter icon. It acts more like a symbol than a letter. The logo has been so impactful that many people refer to the school simply as “The U” in reference to the logo itself. The logo design is clean, contemporary and will never go out of style. Jensen adds, “The Miami logo captures the ‘style’ of the South Florida region and it’s understated – they could have overdone this and made it UM.” This logo design has staying power – it was redesigned in 1972 but still looks contemporary. Bop Design cites company logos such as the Starbucks and McDonalds logo as two examples similar to the Miami Hurricanes. “Just like the Starbucks siren or the golden arches, all you have to do is see the ‘U’ and you know it’s Miami.”

#3 Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers logo design displays a rich texture and a fun personality. The logo is a bold color palette and as the Clemson website claims, “Clemson University ‘owns’ the color orange.” The orange used in logo and branding is actually called “Clemson Orange”. Jensen comments, “The logo is versatile and the paw makes a mark. The school does not need the literal tiger or mascot like other universities.” The design is balanced, showcasing a nice size ratio. The school also has fun with the logo application – Clemson typically uses the logo as the “o” in Clemson. The school redesigned the logo in 1976 as a dramatic upgrade from the previous “tiger” logo that was entirely too intricate. Citing the Clemson Tigers logo, Bop Design reminds small businesses that they do not need to “connect all the dots” in a logo. Jensen adds, “Many businesses want a logo to convey their entire process or product. That is not the point of a logo. It is to entice and convey a general idea about a brand. Clemson could have easily remained with the tiger mascot as their logo but then there would be no mystery or intrigue.”

#2 Michigan Wolverines
The University of Michigan Wolverines logo design showcases the classic collegiate styling with the strong “M” icon. The bold, bright maize and blue colors allow the logo to be seen from afar and make a dramatic impact. Jensen adds, “The Michigan logo design is versatile, clean and balanced with a logo that will never change. People see the ‘M’ and they immediately know it stands for ‘Big Blue’.” Bop Design remarks that going simple, traditional and big can convey boldness. “Michigan is simply content with a big yellow ‘M’. This showcases confidence and bravado. The same idea can be applied to small business marketing. A firm having a simple bright logo design implies they are secure and not overcompensating for something.”

#1 Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns logo symbolizes the strength of the football team and truly stands for the entire Texas geographic region. Jensen comments, “The horns are iconic and even translate well to the ‘hook’em horns’ slogan and hand signal. It’s versatile with just the right amount of detail.” The logo was originally designed in 1950 and has never changed. With Austin being a design-centric town, the Texas Longhorns logo definitely conveys the strong design talent in this college town. Bop Design reminds small businesses that a logo acts as a brand reflection and should express a company’s internal culture. Jensen adds, “No logo is more effective in conveying a local culture than the Longhorns logo in conveying the ethos and region of Texas. The same should apply to business – a firm’s logo should imply something about their employees and culture.”

According to a recent study in the popular business book, The 24-Hour Customer, “People see more than 34 billion bits of information per day – an equivalent of two books per day.” Consumers are continuously bombarded with advertising messages and can suffer from information overload. “More data will be generated in the next four years than in the history of the world,” the book contends.

With more and more studies strengthening the case of information overload and advertising clutter, Bop Design, a San Diego website design agency, reminds small business owners of the most important tip when designing marketing collateral for their firm – white space is good space. White space is essentially the empty space between the texts or images in the composition of a page. “Whether it’s a website, brochure or business card, clients want to fill up the white space to say more about their company”, states Kara Jensen, Bop Design Creative Director. Bop Design reminds small businesses that customers are bombarded with brand messages all day long and it’s important that the most important messages are “front and center” with no distractions.

For instance, with website design, Bop Design advises all small business owners to practice discipline when making decisions on the design of their firm’s website. “There may be some unutilized space on the top right corner of the website and you are thinking to yourself, what can I put there? Or maybe the back of your business card simply has your tagline and for some reason, you think it’s a good idea to list all your services there as well. Even trained designers can be guilty of crowding up a design from time to time, but white space is a ‘must have’ in every design,” says Jensen.

White space, also known as “negative space” helps bring focus, balance and legibility to design. Having negative space around specific design elements allows viewers to focus on what’s most important – helping to communicate a brand message quickly and clearly. The goal is never to communicate everything at once; it’s to communicate the most important message quickly.

As an example, Bop Design cites the two anonymous website examples above. Jensen asks, “Both companies do the same thing but which website design is more effective?”
“Clearly, design #2 is a more effective website design because it communicates with ease and a visitor can easily find what they are looking for,” states Jensen. The Eye Tracking Update study confirms that empty space allows a visitor to focus on the most important message at hand. Also, “white space” does not technically have to be white – it can be an area of color that is empty.

According to a study from Eye Tracking Update, an organization focused on eye tracking news and trends, “Viewers love white space. White space is good. It’s tempting to fill up a page with text and images, but if you offer a viewer a white space, not only does it give them a place to rest their eyes; it helps focus information so readers know where to find it. Too much text overwhelms.” (http://www.eyetrackingupdate.com)
Jensen adds, “When designing your next marketing piece, PowerPoint or brochure – keep it simple, get rid of anything that isn’t absolutely necessary and learn to embrace the white space.”

As the economy continues to be unstable, what lessons have small business owners learned from the 2008 “Great Recession” that they can apply to current economic times? Fortunately most small businesses have not forgotten their successes and mistakes over the brief years since 2008. Bop Design, a marketing agency focused on small businesses, reminds their clients of the lessons they learned as they were beginning as a business in 2008. “We could not have started at a worse time, but we have always said if we can make it through this, we can handle anything!” exclaims Jeremy Durant, Bop Design’s Business Principal. There are three lessons Bop Design considers best practices for any business as they navigate through this uncertainty. They all relate to making decisions rooted in confidence, not rooted in fear.

• Still be Choosy with Your Clients. Don’t panic and act desperate! As a B2B company, a small business wants to be selective with its clients. A business does not want clients who will provide more heartache and stress than money. “One thing I learned in 2008 is to stick to your ideal customer profile – don’t sign clients who don’t fit your ideal customer profile. Sometimes we panicked and began to approach and sign clients because of the money. Don’t do it!” says Durant. There were many times in 2008 when Bop Design would sign a questionable client just because they were scared about the lost revenue. “Stay true to the ideal customer profile and trust your gut.”
• Do Not Lower Price Arbitrarily. Prospective clients will push a business on price and want a firm to offer more services for less money. “If your pricing structure is sound, stay true to your pricing! Don’t lower your price without decreasing project scope,” advises Durant. A business will almost always regret reducing their price just to win the business.
• Do Not Cut Marketing Investment. When times get tough, the first thing many businesses do is cut marketing allocations. It could be the worst time to cut marketing! As you navigate through the economic storm, maintaining an effective lead generation program is critical. “Even though marketing costs money, if implemented properly, it will still deliver a business plenty of ideal clients,” stresses Durant.

To sum it all up, it comes down to discipline. The more disciplined a business’ leadership is, the more successful a business will be in the long run. A good practice is to post both the mission and vision statement on an office wall to ensure practice discipline. With any strategic decision, a manager should always look to those statements and ask, “Does this fit my business?” Fear can cause one to become distracted and make decisions that do not fit the mission/vision of their company. Stay the course and always base decisions on confident thinking. Confident thinking will give a small business owner the discipline to stay on the straight line and be successful through this current economic uncertainty.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) October 04, 2011

Bop Design, a San Diego based marketing agency that works with small businesses throughout the United States, has released the five definitive website components every small business must have to be successful.

Bop Design, a San Diego based marketing agency that works with small businesses throughout the United States, has released the five definitive website components every small business must have to be successful. “In the past few months, there have been more and more TV commercials advertising small business website designs for less than $20 a month. Companies such as Intuit offer numerous templates and promise that a business owner can start doing business online immediately. This is a tad concerning since the top priority of any business is differentiation,” states Bop Design Principal, Jeremy Durant. “If template websites become the norm, every law office website, accounting firm website, management consultant website will look the same. Yes, the content may be different, but how long will a visitor remain on a website to make that determination? A business with a template website sorely underestimates how judgmental a website visitor can be. Imagine if there were only five templates for a restaurant layout or a clothing store interior design?” Durant questions. Bop Design contends that by “templating” marketing communications, a business is losing a prime opportunity to engage with their ideal customer. This applies to any size business in any industry – a business only has a few opportunities to gain customer attention and directly communicate to effectively position their brand.

Bop Design Creative Director, Kara Jensen contends, “Whether small business owners want to believe it or not, people subconsciously draw conclusions about their business when they look at all marketing communications – logo, website, marketing collateral and signage. A poor appearance can trump a firm’s experience, work, press, etc. and generate an overall lack of confidence among potential customers. With the website being the centerpiece of most small businesses marketing campaigns, why have a ‘me too’ strategy with a run-of-the-mill template website?”

According to BIA/Kelsey, small and medium size business spending on digital/online media will grow from $5.4 billion in 2010 to $16.6 billion in 2015 (http://www.bia.com). “With increasingly stiff competition among small businesses to attract and retain customers on the web, it is important that a business creates a unique website experience, which will generate better-qualified customer traffic and an increase in conversion – a visitor taking a desired action,” says Durant. Attracting the right customers and engaging them on a small business website can generate new revenue at an exponential rate. But how? How can something as superficial as website design impact the success of a small business? There are many reasons why a well designed website will attract an ideal customer and prompt dialogue with a company. Bop Design has identified the five fundamental components to keep in mind as a small business explores options for a website design that fits their unique business-

1. Navigation
Possibly the most important part of a website is the navigation. The navigation can make or break a small business website. If an ideal prospective customer can’t find what they’re searching for quickly, they will leave a website. On a custom website, navigation will be designed to fit a sitemap (outline of pages on a website) and be as intuitive as possible. A template site will consist of an “off the shelf” navigation that typically is not intuitive, adaptable or scalable. With a template website, a business may be forced to organize pages in an unnatural way because that’s what the template framework dictates. Good navigation should be easy to find and comprehend – making for quick and easy travel throughout the entire website. In most cases, a simplified navigation maximizes ease of use for a wider range of customers. “A good tip is that a business’ website navigation should be so intuitive even your 75-year old grandmother can understand it,” adds Jensen.

2. Brand Consistency
If a company has a corporate identity that is utilized frequently in print materials (i.e. business cards, pamphlets, letterheads, etc.), then the logo, brand colors, brand messaging and imagery used for print must be carried over to the website design. This is another potential danger of a template website – where colors and branding can be inconsistent with other marketing collateral. “Templates can consist of colors and imagery that are similar, but do no exactly match other marketing collateral. Customers are smart and can tell the difference and will make a judgment about your company,” says Durant. This can cause a prospective customer to visit a website and wonder if it’s even the same company. It is important for customers to recognize a brand in all forms of communication, so they associate the brand position and promise with the corresponding business. If the visual communication changes with a brand, it can cause customers to feel uncomfortable, which can cause them to create a negative association with a company.

3. Reading Patterns and SEO
Most people are comfortable reading a web page the same way they read a book, from top to bottom, left to right. Web designers also take this into account when designing a website. Good designers place the most important information on the upper left hand column. This will help get a brand message across more effectively. “Many templates limit content placement on a webpage and business owners can find it difficult working within these constraints. Also, placing important information in these areas of a website improves search engine optimization (SEO),” states Jensen. When you include important company-related keywords in the html-based text, search engines such as Google and Bing are able to crawl a website easily, increasing search engine placement and giving a website and small business more overall visibility. As a small business, be cautious with template websites and ensure that the backend programming is clean and up-to-date so that search engines can easily crawl the website. If SEO is a top priority, hiring a firm with SEO expertise to do a custom website design is always the best bet.

4. Content & Messaging
The content of a small business website is important for reasons besides the fact that it literally communicates a company’s brand position and promise. There are other important elements considered when a copywriter creates the content and the designer creates the complementary visual environment. Making the message short and to the point, yet warm and welcoming (depending on the industry,) helps the reader to remember the message easier. Also, when there is too much text on a page, the page becomes visually cluttered making it more difficult for a reader to physically read the page let alone remain interested. By streamlining the content, the designer is then able to insert the text into their design, which typically includes plenty of negative space. This empty space lets the reader’s eyes rest so they do not tire of reading. If they tire, the visitor will leave a website. With a template, the website design is already determined and one must fit the content into the design of a page. This can lead to clutter which in turn, leads to visitor fatigue. One advantage of a custom website design is that content creation and website design work in sync. Durant compares design and content to songwriting, “where lyrics and music are typically created in tandem.”

5. Trust
Building trust among customers is extremely important, but will not happen unless a business really gets to know them and what they value. Marketing communications can act as a dialogue with potential customers, which will be a great way to discover more about a clientele’s needs. By strengthening dialogue with customers, a small business can implement tactics that positively resonate in a custom website design. On the other hand, a website template will not be designed specifically with ideal customers in mind and may turn them off by not being compelling or professional enough. Credibility and professionalism are two primary objectives of any small business website design, but also keep in mind conveying some personality through a website. “Don’t be so professional that your website borders on being ‘stuffy.’ The more welcoming and trustworthy a website is to visitors, the more traffic on the website, which will then lead to an increase in new business leads,” adds Jensen.

Summary
A website designed specifically for a particular business and its target market is the most effective gateway to new ideal customers. If designed properly, a visitor will land on a small business website and become excited due to the compelling design and relevant content. Because a website is so engaging, a prospective customer will spend significant time on it and conclude that it’s time to begin a relationship with that business.

# # #

Original Article link: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/10/prweb8843904.htm

Truck unloader, office manager, you name it and the head of a small business is doing it

Ever seen a chief executive driving a forklift?

You likely won’t find statistics this Labor Day on how hard small-business owners are working to keep their companies afloat. But ask any local entrepreneur and you’ll get an earful about his or her ever-growing “to do” list.

We profile three hard-working San Diego business owners here.

“I don’t really add up my hours, because it’s whatever it takes to get the job done,” said Jim Frost, president and general manager of Frost Hardwood in San Diego. Frost is not only the boss, he’s also the company’s credit manager and buyer of imported lumber, positions left unfilled for now.

And when there’s a truck to be unloaded, guess who may be doing the heavy lifting?

“I don’t wear a tie anymore, because I never know when I’ll have to jump on a forklift,” Frost said.

Times are tough, even though the recession is technically over. For the small businesses that are surviving, it’s often with a skeletal crew. They’re holding off on hiring help, but obligations haven’t fallen off.

Often, if there are customers to greet at the counter or an invoice to send, chances are good the owner is the one handling those tasks, said John Kabateck, executive director of the National Federation of Independent Business in California.

“More and more small-business owners in California are working harder — and with fewer employees — thanks in large part to the soaring costs and mandates heaped on them by government at every level,” Kabateck said. “Many have already scaled back operational costs to extreme bare-bones levels. When unanticipated new taxes, fees or regulations hit them from left field, they have nowhere left to trim but their employees.”

Nearly 70 percent of small-business owners do not plan to make hires in the next year, according to a survey released last week by The Small Business Authority, which provides professional services for about 100,000 business accounts.

“I just wish the income was enough that I could hire a part-time worker here,” said Lisa Schmidt, who owns the gift shop Lisa’s Cottage in La Mesa. “The picking and the searching and the buying — that’s my forte.”

Many small-business owners are hiring only for duties they can’t do themselves. Take the case of Jeremy Durant of Bop Design in San Diego, who brought on a Web developer with skills that he lacked. Otherwise, Durant estimates that he is working an extra three hours a day to handle tasks such as driving to the bank to deposit checks.

“I have to determine: What are the tasks that I can take on, that are not going to take that much time?” he said.

BY TANYA MANNES, REPORTER – SMALL BUSINESS, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2011 AT 6 A.M.

Original article link: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/sep/04/at-small-businesses-its-busy-at-the-top/

Bop Design: Hiring some employees, but long days for the owners

Jeremy Durant and his wife, Kara Jensen, established Bop Design after he was laid off from a creative agency in 2008.

“We noticed there was such a need among small businesses that are professional services companies for effective marketing,” Durant said.

Bop Design soon signed up law firms and environmental consultants, among others, for a variety of services, including client generation, email marketing and search-engine optimization.

With an office in Bankers Hill, Durant has hired two full-time employees and about seven independent contractors. The company had revenue last year of $110,000, and it’s on track to triple that number this year, he said.

As Bop Design was gaining its footing, Durant and Jensen carefully considered whether they could bring on new employees. They decided to hire a Web developer because they needed someone with technical expertise, and a project manager to work directly with customers.

Kara Jensen and her husband, Jeremy Durant, started Bop Design after Durant was laid off in 2008. They have hired two full-time employees, and Durant is the default office manager.

For now, Durant is the default office manager.

“I would love to bring somebody on to do that,” he said. “It takes away from my core competency, which is really business development and sales.”

Durant spends around three hours a day on office management, from paying the water-cooler bill to setting up the company’s intranet site. During a recent morning, he wrote a creative plan for a client, then headed to the bank to deposit checks. He and Jensen often end the day at a networking event, such as those held by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m working, on average, 70 hours a week,” Durant said. “It’s amazing how as a small-business owner, you’re such a generalist.”

Still, he doesn’t mind putting in the time. “Most of what I do every day, I enjoy,” he said.

BY UNION-TRIBUNE, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2011 AT 6 A.M.

Original article link: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/sep/04/at-small-businesses-its-busy-at-the-top/